Waste retainer for journal boxes



Dec. 9, 1947. F. B. LEWIS ET AL WASTE RETAINER FOR JOURNAL BOXES Filed Aug. 50, 1943 Snpentor EzmczlsflZeu/zs d LfohlzAScizroeder Patented Dec. 9, 1947 WASTE RETAINER FOR JOURNAL BOXES Francis E. Lewis, Omaha, Nelm, and John A. Schroeder, Denver, Colo.

Application August 30, 1943, Serial No. 500,576

2 Claims.

This invention relates to waste retainers for use in standard railway journal boxes of the plain bearing type having a brass and a wedge which is retained by stop-lugs at the top front. corners of the box.

Oil soaked waste is customarily packed under the journal, and unless restrained will sometimes roll out of place. proposed, but ncne has proved entirely rc1iale. The improved retainer hereinafter disclosed is based on a study of the rolling action of the waste and operates to suppress the trouble at its origin.

Rolling of waste almost invariably starts at the inner end of the journal next the dust guard and proceeds from there outward, the entire body.

and forcing the lid open. If the rolling tendency can be suppressed where it starts, close to the dust guard, success is assured. The present invention gives restraint over the entire top of the mass of waste so that it is evenly maintained, but the critical print is the inner end along the sides of the journal.

Hence the retainer becomes essentially a plane grid which overlies the waste over the entire superficial area, nearly to the dust guard, and this grid is substantially rigid. The grid is held in and down by two bow springs which react so as to urge the grid down clear to the inner end of the journal. The springs react against the wedge stop-lugs, so thata rigid spring seat is had. and vibration and weaving motion are mini mized.

Like most prior art retainers this one can be formed of a single length of spring wire and is so shown, but this is not the vital novel feature. The vital thing is a grid of adequate area and of length suflicient to react close to the dust guard. Equally imrortant is adeouate spring reaction in the correct direction. Bowed springs at the front corners of the grid a'fiord this. and have the important incidental advantage that they are so located as to permit easy inspection of the interior of the box.

For purpose of explanation the preferred em bodiment will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical axial section ofa standard journal box with the improved retainer in place.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the retainer as it appears prior to insertion in the box.

The body of the box is indicated by the nu- Various retainers have been 7 meral 6. The journal appears at I, the brass at 8, the wedge at 9, the slot for the dust guard at l0, and the wedge stop lugs at H. The lug i2 receives the hinge pin for the box lid (not shown). The cellar of the box is packed with oil soaked waste l3.

All the parts so far described are standard in the railway art.

The waste retainer which is shown in place in Fig. 1 and removed in Fig. 2 comprises a fiat base of grid fo-rm made up of two rairs of parallel lars l4 and a zi zag cross section 15. The bars M are connected in pairs by loops at their rear ends and are oii'set and welded together at is. At the forward corners are u st nding spring arms I! which are bowed rearwardly at l8 and terminate in hooks 19 which ensure proper engagement with th wedge stop-lugs H, as indicated in Fig. 1. g

The bars extend nearly to the inner end of the journal I and are effective to hold the waste down. Two such bars as shown are ordinarily sufficient. The zigzag connection i5 gives a good hold down effect at the front of the journal. The reaction of the springs I1 is adequate and correct in direction.

The retainer is easy to insert and remove and since the springs H are at the sides of the box the retainer need not be removed to inspect the box.

It is not essential that the retainer be constructed of wire. or that the precise form illustrated be slavishly adhered to.

What is claimed is:

1. A waste retainer for waste-packed plain journal .boxes of the type having projecting means at the top front of the box, sa d retainer comprising a substantially fiat grid-like base adapted to overlie the waste over substant ally the entire U-shaped interval between the sides and end of the journal and the sides and front of the box; and a. pair of bowed s ring arms which extend upward and inward from the forward corners of said base andare formed to engage said projecting means and react thereupon to urge the base inward and downward.

2. A waste retainer for waste-packed plain journal boxes of the tvpe having wedge stop-lugs at the top front of the box, sa d retainer comprising a flat grid-like base including two pairs of bars, the bars of a pair being spaced but connected at both ends, each pair extendingsubstantially the full length of the journal on respective sides thereof, with a zigzag cross connection between the two pairs approximately r 4 spanning the interval between the end of the REFERENCES CITED journal and the front of the box; and a pair of The follow rem en 9 are of r o d t bowed spring members which extend upward and me of this g r c 8 so I in b inward at opposite sides of the front end of said base. and are formed to engage respective wedge 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS atop-lugs and react thereupon to urge the base Number Name Date inward and downward. 1,291,733 Berner Jan. 21, 1919 2,141,019 Ripley Dec. 20, 1938 FRANCIS 13. W 2,185,075 Dienstel Dec. 26, 1939 JOHN A. SCHROEDER. In 2,218,436 Phillips Oct. 15, 1940 

